God, Jesus and other faiths
Yes. The Quran says there is no compulsion in religion, and that truth stands clear from error. A person cannot be forced to become Muslim, and a person's faith is judged by God, not by people.
The Quran tells the Prophet ﷺ that he is only a reminder and is not a controller over people, and it states that if God had willed, all the people of the earth would have believed, and asks whether he would force them. A forced belief is not accepted in Islam, because faith is a matter of the heart.
In history, Jewish and Christian communities lived under Muslim rule for centuries with their own courts, churches and synagogues, and the early biographies of the Prophet ﷺ record a treaty of protection that he gave to the Christians of Najran. History also has bad cases of intolerance, as in every society. Muslims hold that these cases are against what the Quran teaches.
لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشْدُ مِنَ ٱلْغَىِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلطَّٰغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَ بِٱلْعُرْوَةِ ٱلْوُثْقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٥٦﴾
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَءَامَنَ مَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ ٱلنَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُوا۟ مُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٩٩﴾
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?
فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌۭ ﴿٢١﴾ لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ ﴿٢٢﴾
So remind, [O Muhammad]; you are only a reminder. You are not over them a controller.
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِينِ ﴿٦﴾
For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."
The hadith and reports behind this answer. Open a number to read it on sunnah.com.
This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.
